Look Up

I adore these clouds from The CutShoppe Check it out here: A Walk in the Clouds. I paired it with the sentiment paper from Studio Calico's Walden kit.

I added watercolor to mimic the sunset colors in the picture. I stitched the embossed star diecut to the background.

I added vellum paper to layer behind my photo. I added the 2014 Evalicious flair to the photo along with My Mind's Eye gold enamel dots to the Studio Tekturek pocket card from One Way Ticket paper.

To compliment the stripes on the clouds, I finished off the layout with a few spots of navy striped My Mind's Eye washi tape.

Here We Go Wood Photo Holder

This slice of wood was sitting around in our storage room as a trophy of sorts from Oktoberfest in Big Bear Lake, CA. My husband and his friend won the log sawing competition and this was their speedy sawing slice! After seeing Shanna Noel's project on Amy Tangerine's blog in August Love Seriously Altered Wood Project, it prompted me to create my own version of this cool wood art!

I used the Amy Tangerine Kal Barteski Thickers as a mask when I sprayed it with black chalkboard paint. I removed the stickers and washi tape that protected the outer bark. Next, I hot glued the American Crafts clip on and had an instant Instagram sized photo holder!  Love this rustic touch in our living room.

My Loves

The Cut Shoppe has this fun file Addicted to Love which prompted me to search through my Studio Calico kits for something with stripes of color. I had hoarded this scalloped paper from Office Hours called Mayfield. I watercolored the hearts to match it tone on tone.

The close ups show the fun lift the painted hearts give the layout. 

And another with a close up of the vellum layer and doily. The flair arrow was from Evalicious in a Gossamer Blue kit.  The twelve circle label from Hello Forever Paper Co. in a Studio Calico kit worked great to document the year of the photoshoot.  The vellum circles add to the layers of the embellishments.

The photo is from 2012 in our yard with Kate Becker Photography. Our pictures were vibrant with all of the green. It down poured minutes later!

Time Well Spent

Loved this cut file from my favorite Etsy shop, The Cut Shoppe: Squared Away cut file
See The Cut Shoppe blog post here

I took Shimelle's online class, Inspired By, and the title piece was included in the class downloads from script expert Jen Kinkade. Check out the Shimelle Inspired By Workshop here: Inspired By

I used the patterned paper from a Studio Calico Kit: Far Far Away and the little bits are from Heidi Swapp September Skies. 

Check out my layout on Paper Issues: Fan Feature Friday: It's Hip to be...

Here's my layout in my Instagram feed.

Have a great weekend!

Disney on Ice

I was excited to use Dear Lizzy's newest line Serendipity by American Crafts. This worked well with Dear Lizzy's Alpha Thickers from previous collections.

We enjoyed this fun Disney night out last year with our youngest two. I hid the journaling on the little tab stamped with Dear Lizzy's roller stamp for this collection placed right above the title. 

The sparkle Thickers work to enhance that icy/frozen feel I was looking for!

I had to include a hidden Mickey made with one of my punches. It was fun to use teal thread to sew on the paper triangle and hello card! I love the added texture it brings to the layout. 

I finished it off with some of Heidi Swapp's Color Shine in amethyst and teal.

  

Love x 3

I love when things just come together-random cut files sitting around, pictures, and papers from Studio Calico January Far Far Away kit/February Cirque kit.

The scripty love is a cut file from Elle's Studio. Elle's Studio Love The white love cut file can be found at Paper Issues online store-free! Paper Issues

I love the patterned vellum (pink and black) from Studio Calico. The pink heart transparency is a fun pop of color and texture!

Happy Heart Month! 💗

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You

I had the amazing experience to read an advance copy of a favorite blogger of mine's new book, The Fringe Hours.  Jessica N. Turner of  The Mom Creative blog had started with a survey a year or two ago which I enjoyed taking and commenting on, as she delved into these questions about life and busyness of an adult.  I have read and re-read sections of  The Fringe Hours.  I have highlighted important sections, ideas, quotes, or bible verses, that spoke to me.  I have pondered and assessed my own daily craziness and put into motion several ideas and variations of concepts that apply to me.  I love that it felt like I was in a book club reading this book, yet, I was usually curled up on the couch or by the fireplace reading it with coffee or hot tea these past few weeks! Jessica makes this book relate to so many people in a variety of places in life.  The Fringe Hours will spark different highlights for each person reading it.  What was relevant to me in The Fringe Hours, in my phase of life; working full time with four children, may not be what someone else notes as pertinent.  That is the beauty of this book!  Jessica ensures that you will feel connected with the quotes, stories, and research she has done with so many women, working professionals, stay-at-home working parents, students, and those that wear a multitude of hats each week.  I have realized that by taking time to figure out how to make my time daily work best for me, I gain these important "fringe hours" to do things that  rejuvenate my body, mind, and soul.  My "fringe" time may not be in "hours" each day, but I can gather up minutes and  take time for me in between being a mom, wife, friend, employee, chef, cleaner, etc...  We can be our best selves when we practice the concepts she sets out in the book:  self care, balance, prioritizing, and time management among others.

Check out this short review and links to get your own copy.  Believe me, you don't want to miss out on learning what I did in this relevant book.  The take-aways from The Fringe Hours will transform your daily life!

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You

Every woman has had this experience: you get to the end of the day and realize you did nothing for you. And if you go days, weeks, or even months in this cycle, you begin to feel like you have lost a bit of yourself. Perfect for any woman who is doing everything for everyone—except herself— The Fringe Hours is ideal for both individuals and small group use. 

Order where books are sold, including:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and DaySpring

Learn more and access resources at www.FringeHours.com

Have a great day!  Isn't it time you get back your "me" time?  Check out The Fringe Hours for all of the ideas to maximize your days!

Hello there, Love!

Disney adventures are something our family loves! Having such close access to Disneyland when we lived in California, meant our kids grew up thinking everyone went to "the most magical place" monthly! Now that we live farther away, trips to Disney World have been easier to coordinate with family members wintering in Florida!  This photo was captured a year ago in December. Our littlest guy was curious and interested in all of the noses and faces of each character!

The free background plus sign cut file can be found on http://www.Birdscards.com 

I used many of Amy Tangerine's Plus One Collection papers for the spaces and used other bits to layer from her collections from American Crafts.

Fringe Friday

Welcome to Fringe Friday! After reading Jessica N. Turner's book, The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You, I really put her ideas and recommendations into motion in my own crazy, busy life. By using my time efficiently on things that need to be done, I create more time to do things that I enjoy and bring me balance!

I'm a big fan of multitasking and maximizing my time by doing things in batches or larger quantities on the weekend! If I am working creatively, I like to cut lots of designs at one time or create multiple scrapbook layout pages, Project Life pocket pages, or cards at a time.
Here are a few of the cards I made last weekend.

The same concept with cooking or baking. I love to double or triple recipes on the weekend so that we start out the week with leftovers and I pre-assemble a meal and freeze it knowing there will be days ahead where I will  be thrilled to have something ready to go with little prep.  This is a photo of last weekend's refrigerator full before we froze half of them.

Check out more great ideas on http://www.themomcreative.com

Jessica's book, The Fringe Hours, will launch February 17th. Be sure to check her website for other fun offers!

Here's my wrap up some of my fringe hours this week! Always finding ways to make time for me! It's important for us!

Here's my Instagram link:

http://instagram.com/p/zDTmitD6Wg/

Have a fabulous weekend!

You Have My Heart

I love a grid design and was on a mission to create one with a heart punch. The new February Studio Calico Cirque kit was full of fun papers and products (those mega alpha!)

I added the mini gray alpha and the printed vellum from the copper prints vellum stack. The patterned paper by Ashley Goldberg was used as the grid and background layer.

This layout was just featured here:

http://paperissues.blogspot.com/2015/02/fan-feature-friday-perfect-pairing-2.html?m=1

The photo was our Littles, Ryan, at two weeks old.  We did this Daddy and baby pose for three out of the four kiddos as newborns. I love it! 

Happy Love Day!

You Are... Card

I am loving bold black and white stripes with soft pastels! This card uses a treat bag with black stripes that I got online from Pick Your Plum. They have random craft items some days, and these were some I found in November on a daily sale. 

The little stamps and heart banner sticker are from Studio Calico kits. The new Dear Lizzy collection Serendipity has the cutest roller stamp with phrase starters. I used it for the "You are...". The pink paper card was in my February Paper Issues Swag Bag. 

This little stitched bag pocket can word as a gift card holder for Valentine's Day or as a spot to tuck a large journaling tag. 

The inside has an Ali Edwards stamp from Technique Tuesday.

I (heart) You Cards

Happy Valentine's Week! I love checking out Birds Cards website whenever I need a cut file for card making or backgrounds for scrapbook pages. This site has lots to check out and shared for free! I tried out the gate fold I ❤️U file and then also did variations for flat front cards and valentine exchange cards. Now, the trickiest part... getting them in the mail! 

http://www.birdscards.com/free-digital-cut-files/valentines

You are Here in my Heart Always

I was inspired scrolling through Instagram by all of the posts linking to Jot Magazine's February mood board. Using black and white stripes, red, pink, and mint. I also sewed the stack of hearts as pictured in the mood board. I love the pop of dimension it adds to the page. 

I also was inspired by Paper Issues Sketchy Saturday post as it used a circle element and stacked journaling.

I sewed the large circle in black thread multiple times for texture. I then watercolored the area to make the die cut title pop.

I blended watercolors and used some spray ink in a shimmery mint color.

For fun, here's the same picture enlarged and in color from our summer day trip to Minnehaha Falls in MN.

We had a random nice person take our photo. It was a bummer to look at them later to see the falls are only a slight splash on the right side!  Good times!

Quick cards

What a Sweet Pear! This mini envelope from Allison Kreft for Webster's Pages doubles as a gift card holder.

awesome!  By taking a Mister Huey's mask and using it as an embossing plate with my Sizzix Big Shot, I was able to create a chevron background. The awesome die cut is by Wilna Furstenberg. Add some quick twine from The Twinery and pop up some Studio Calico stickers. Done!

I love this sentiment stamp tag from Shanna Noel for Studio Calico. Studio Calico Lemon Lush paper and mint washi tape from Freckled Fawn.

Bloom. Card using Elle's Studio stamp sentiment and flower by Bella Blvd. Dear Lizzy Fifth and Frolic paper and border punch with watercolor details.

Live Creatively! Die cut frame from Plus One collection by Amy Tangerine. Stamp and PrintShop washi tape by Studio Calico.

Choose Happy papers by South of Market by Studio Calico. Fabric brad by Crate Paper. Enamel dots by Studio Calico.

Instagram Mini Album

The We R Memory Keepers mini Insta Albums are perfect for small sized scrapping and documenting in a quick fashion.  I created this mini album while watching and completing the projects for Big Picture Classes: Inspiration Unlimited with Kelly Purkey and Amy Tan.  I used We R Memory Keepers vellum and metallic mini kit for some of the pages or 2x2 spots.  Amy Tangerine's Stitched collection 6x6 paper pad, enamel shapes, and Thickers were used throughout the book.  I tried techniques that Amy taught in the class.  I watercolored circles and stamped on top of them to create handmade mini papers.  I watercolor scripted the word family on the backside of the Plus One Collection by Amy Tangerine Today tag.  I also adore the Shimelle woodgrain embossing folder that I used along with leaf embellishments from Basic Grey.  I also incorporated the photo ID mini pictures from Costco.  I used sections of it for the 2x2 pockets to highlight other pictures from the same day.